


Beast

by heihua



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, 弱虫ペダル | Yowamushi Pedal
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 04:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1765219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heihua/pseuds/heihua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, Fukutomi Juichi, has left NERV just as a new Angel descends on Tokyo-3. Pilot of Evangelion Unit 02, Arakita Yasutomo, must be there to fight instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beast

Arakita lets out an annoyed sigh and releases his hands from the controls. “This sucks.”

Those familiar with Arakita Yasutomo, pilot of Evangelion Unit 02, were used to hearing those words from him. He was always the lazy one, the pilot that NERV had to cajole, plead or threaten (sometimes all three) to cooperate and pilot Unit 02. Only when Fukutomi asked him to, would Arakita willingly put on his plug suit and jump in to battle against the Angels.

But this time was different. This time, Arakita had gone against orders not by refusing to pilot, but by jumping into Unit 02 to fight the twelfth Angel, Zereul.

This time, there was no Fukutomi by Arakita’s side.

Because Fukutomi was no longer the pilot of Unit 01. Because Fukutomi, sitting in Unit 01, had watched the dummy system tear apart the Angel-infested Evangelion his best friend Shinkai Hayato, had been asked to pilot. Now Fukutomi is gone and Arakita in Unit 02 is the only thing now standing between keeping humanity safe and the Third Impact.

So Arakita stands up from his seat, teeth bared as he faces Zereul.

For someone who was fighting a losing battle that could possibly kill him and everyone he knew, Arakita feels oddly light.

In his Unit, he is alone. There is no one to push him into doing anything—there is only him and the enemy in front of him he must defeat if he wants to move forward. Even if it means casting off his humanity.

 _'I've always been a wild animal,'_ Arakita thinks wryly.  _'I guess now's the time to show it.'_

He opens his mouth (and in those very brief seconds before he utters the words that will seal his fate, he remembers Fukutomi’s departing back and all he can thinks is  _sorry Fuku-chan_ ). “Invert Mode. Secret code: The Beast!”

 

 

_"Hey Fuku-chan, why do you pilot the Eva?"_

_"Of all the pilot candidates, I was the strongest. And as the strongest, I must fulfill my duties as a pilot."_

_"Hah, even your reasons are stiff Fuku-chan."_

_"Then what about you Arakita? Why do you pilot the Eva?"_

_'Because I want to help you,' is the thought that flits through Arakita's mind but embarrassment and pride keeps him from saying the words out loud._

_"How the hell should I know, dumbass?" he yells instead and stomps away, never seeing the small smile on Fukutomi’s face._

 

 

A searing pain shoots through both his hands and his chest, enough to make Arakita gasp. He swallows LCL, only now it tastes like burnt Bepsi going down his throat. His whole frame shakes with the effort to remain standing and he wonders if this is enough ( _I did good right, Fuku-chan?)_ , if the pain he suffers here is enough for him to overcome this obstacle ( _"You can never move forward if you’re only looking back, Arakita")_.

As the world turns red around him, Arakita roars and Unit 02 lunges towards Zereul.

 

 

_Arakita had never heard Fukutomi scream before. He has never heard him sound as anguished as he is now, his voice echoing all throughout NERV headquarters as Unit 01 tears apart Angel-possessed Unit 03 with it’s bare hands._

_And when Unit 01 holds Unit 03’s plug in it’s mouth, only to crush it in half moments later, Fukutomi howls._

 

 

Fukutomi runs.

He runs like he has never run before, the world barren, until he sees the red plates of Unit 02 and the towering form of Zereul.

He stops, just as Zereul cleaves Unit 02’s head clean off it’s body.

And Fukutomi screams once more.

"ARAKITA!!"


End file.
